Road to the Oscars: Day Five (Gravity)

Life in space is impossible.

I didn’t want to see this movie. When the trailer first came out, with Sandra Bullock’s endless heavy breathing and screaming, I thought to myself that there was no way in hell you were going to get me to sit through that for an hour and half. 

Then it came out and all I heard were positive reviews. I still didn’t give in though, I still wasn’t sure I could handle it. That trailer had just freaked me out. 

Then my best friend saw it. Said it was good, I’d like it. I thought to myself, sure, I’ll watch it. I’ll just put on my ‘to-watch list’ and it can sit on that list until the moment arrives where I have to watch it or perhaps, for some strange reason one day, I feel like watching it. 

Well I guess that moment arrived. No, not the one where I feel like watching it: the one where I have to watch it. It was nominated for Best Picture, and I’ve decided to review each nominee. I guess I really dug my own hole with that one. 

That whole story is really to just inform you how much I didn’t want to see this movie and how wrong I was. Basically there are two characters in this movie, Ryan Stone is played by Sandra Bullock and Matt Kowalski is played by George Clooney. There is a few other voices for a while, but that’s seriously about it. It’s strange, but oddly, it works. I thought I would have a problem with just Bullock, Clooney and a whole lot of space and heavy breathing but I have to admit that I didn’t even notice it untilI I had finished watching it. Bullock holds her own really well, and there is enough drama for the audience to be entertained while still only have one person on their screen. 

Understandably, the things that happen in this movie are quite unbelievable, but that’s alright with this movie because it’s space, and space itself is so unbelievable that you could say or do anything with it and I would believe you, no questions asked. 

Also, something happened to me which usually doesn’t happen when I watch a film: I fell for a character’s backstory. I can do it super easy with television, and in films where they are based on books I’ve read, but when it’s just a film, I find I don’t always get into them because it’s just too cliche for me. Somehow it feels too quick. However, the five minutes where Kowalski is trying to calm Stone down and ask her questions about her life, just really got to me. There were even a few tears. That’s how good Bullock is in this movie; I fell for some sad backstory. 

I don’t think this will win any Oscars. Perhaps for cinematography (and special effects or something) but Bullock won’t win Best Actress because that belongs undoubtably to Cate Blanchett. It also won’t win Best Picture but I’ll tell you something I wouldn’t have ever dreamed of saying a few days ago: I’m glad it was nominated. 

Road to the Oscars: Day Four (12 Years a Slave)

“Racism is not dead. It’s not. And that’s why this film is so important. To understand American society today, it starts with these kinds of stories, and the fact that they haven’t been dealt with yet. There’s work to be done." 

- Lupita Nyong'o

I watched 12 Years a Slave yesterday. I was going to write a post about it yesterday, but I couldn't bring myself to do it so I wrote about Dallas Buyers Club instead. I couldn't do it because I just feel like it's such a hard thing to write about. Instead I've kind of put together some words from other people along with my own. 

The movie is based on the 1853 memoir of the freeman Solomon Northup (who is played by Chiwetel Ejiofor) who was kidnapped and sold into slavery. The movie is bleak, uncomfortable, terrifying, depressing but it is also "visceral, truthful and electrifyingly 'real'" (here). When I say that this movie is bleak, uncomfortable, terrifying and depressing, what I mean is, that it's exactly what director Steve McQueen wants you to feel. His shots are "intended to induce claustrophobia, physical and existential" and all his images have "considerable power" (here). 

Everyone in this movie is perfect. The whole cast is so exceptional, with performances from Lupita Nyong'o, Benedict Cumberbatch, Michael Fassbender, Brad Pitt and Sarah Paulson. Everyone deserves the praise they are receiving for this movie. I wish I could write more about it but really, there isn't much more I need to say other that I believe everyone should watch this movie. Not only because it a cinematic masterpiece but also because it is important for people to see the issue of slavery and racism being tackled on screen.

This will win Best Picture, I'm sure it will, and I hope it does too. It will also hopefully win Best Supporting Actress for Lupita Nyong'o, and hopefully an Oscar for Chiwetel Ejiofor too (if McConaughey doesn't edge him out). 

Road to the Oscars: Day Three (Dallas Buyers Club)

I can handle your insults, but 5%?

25. Take it or leave it.

For those of you who read my February favourites post a couple of days ago, you'll know that Matthew has been absolutely blowing my mind lately. With work like True Detective, Mud and Magic Mike he has gone from an actor I would avoid like the plague to one of my favourite actors at the moment, extremely quickly. Even his short role in The Wolf of Wall Street was outstanding. He has finally shown us his true potential as an actor, a real “McConaughnaissance” (I wish I had come up with this, but sadly the author of this very interesting article on the relationship between the Oscars and bloggers got there first). His performance as Ron Woodroof, who is diagnosed with AIDS and told he has 30 days to live, is brilliant and thought-provoking. Woodroof is not just portrayed as a two-dimensional “do-gooder” whose trying to save lives, but as a real human being, with shades light and dark. A man who is often homophobic and out to make a profit, but will stand up for the people he trusts and loves. 

With all that praise just heaped on McConaughey, I now want to state that I thought Jared Leto was just as amazing, if not slightly better. Now I could be a little bias here, because I’ve loved Leto for longer than I have McConaughey (who I’ve really only loved since True Detective started), but I don’t think I am when I say in this film Leto can be a bit of scene stealer. All eyes are focused on him and what he’s saying when he’s on screen. And although I don’t truly believe this, I have to admit I had a good chuckle when I read the fact that “Leto lost the most weight and wore eyeliner” made him "a shoo-in for Best Supporting Actor” (again, taken from here). There has been a lot of discussion about Leto’s character, Rayon, and his casting. I believe that they definitely should have cast a transgender person to play the part. But sadly, they didn’t and Leto has done a pretty amazing job in their absence. 

The film itself is quite conservative, especially considering the subject its dealing with. While we see Ron regularly engaging in sexual activities before his diagnosis, post-diagnosis he is shown as abstinent except for one woman who he makes very sure also has AIDS. As this review points out, “the idea of safe sex for people with HIV is not discussed, and it is unusual for a movie on this subject to avoid the subject of condoms so entirely”. It also hardly deals with any of the politics behind the issue at the time (Reagan era America) but I don't know whether it's lacking because of it or whether it's better focusing on what the people were doing. 

Dallas Buyers probably won’t win Best Picture but I’ll tell you that it has a definite winner in Jared Leto for Best Supporting Actor and a very good chance with McConaughey for the award of Best Actor.

Road to the Oscars: Day Two (American Hustle)

Some of this actually happened.

American Hustle confuses me. Before trying to write this I went and read some other critics reviews because I wasn't one hundred per cent sure how I felt about it. What I found was everything from blatant hatred for the film to those who couldn't praise it high enough. Obviously the Academy agrees more with the latter, or it wouldn't be nominated for ten Oscars at the upcoming ceremony, one of which is 'Best Picture'. 

I have to admit, the film surprised me when I first watched it. The trailer hadn't done it any favours and there were honestly only five reasons I went to see it: Christian Bale, Jennifer Lawrence, Bradley Cooper, Amy Adams and Jeremy Renner. I definitely hadn't expected a comedy. Did anyone? A comedy about government corruption in the 70s? But I did laugh a lot throughout the film. Admittedly it was mostly laughter about the state of Christian Bale's body and Bradley Cooper's hair but there were definitely other funny parts too. Jennifer Lawrence dancing to 'Live and Let Die' certainly springs to mind. 

I agree a lot with what critic David Thompson had to say about the film in his review. Firstly, the film goes for 129 minutes, which Thompson believes is "29 minutes too long". There were many parts that they could have cut out, all of which while slightly amusing or interesting, did not add to the story at all. Secondly, he says that "one could be forgiven for thinking that the entire movie is an opportunity for these actors to read an outline of script and take it from there" and that it could easily be seen as an "after-hours jam session" for the actors. I can't help but agree. The performances were great, but it seemed too easy in some parts and a lot of the script could be called 'monotonous' without hearing any arguments from me. 

I could see it winning the Oscar for Best Costume Design, because it was pretty amazing, but if it was up to me, that would be the only one. With all that said, it definitely deserves to be on the list of the top nine films for the last year, it just won't win Best Picture. 

Road to the Oscars: Day One (The Wolf of Wall Street)

Over the next week I plan to do something a little different: I'm going to try and watch all the films nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars this year.

For those of you who don't know, the nominees are:

• American Hustle
• Captain Phillips 
• Dallas Buyers Club
• Her
• Gravity
• Nebraska
• Philomena 
• The Wolf of Wall Street
• 12 Years a Slave

Previous to starting this week I have already seen three of the nominees: American Hustle, Dallas Buyers Club and The Wolf of Wall Street. As there are 9 films and only seven days until the Oscars I will be including two films in one of the days post. 

So without any further delays, here is today's review on The Wolf of Wall Street. 

My name is Jordan Belfort. 

The year I turned 26 I earned 49 million dollars, 

which really pissed me off 'cos it was three shy of a million a week.

Me, I love a good trailer for a movie. I'll watch them over and over again. I've even been known to download them onto my Ipod just so I can listen to them while I'm out and about. I'll also see anything Leonardo DiCaprio is in. He's actually one of the three actors in the world I have given myself the task to watch their entire volume of work (Edward Norton and Ben Whishaw being the other two). So when the first trailer for The Wolf of Wall Street was released in June last year you could say I was a little bit ecstatic. It's one of those very rare perfectly made trailers, with a brilliant song (Kanye West's 'Black Skinhead'), perfect editing and hilarious quotes that make you want to watch the movie right then and there. The only problem was I had to wait until January 23rd. 
Not even December 25th like the rest of the world. It was a long wait.

I was able to be consoled a little when I managed to get advanced screening tickets and see it three days earlier than the rest of Australia. I love seeing movies in advanced screenings or on the day they are released. Aside from the fact that you get to see the movie before the majority of the population, you are sitting in the cinema with a crowd who wants to be there. They've been waiting for it as long as you have. They've watched all the trailers, the interviews and they are just as excited as you are to see if it exceeds their expectations. This crowd was no exception. They fed off the amazing energy the whole cast throughout this movie. We were all in stitches during the Quaaludes scene and audible gasps were heard throughout the cinema in the very funny but very shocking big party scene with Jonah Hill and Margot Robbie. 

I 100% agree with this film's nomination for an Academy Award. This is one of Scorsese's finest work. It's definitely too long and I feel like there were little bits and pieces they could have left out, but it was an amazing roller coaster of emotions and reactions. I was laughing so hard one minute and then the next you're just left feeling a little grossed out, shocked or just empty. There isn't too much of a plot, it just outlines how Belfort started out in stocks and then focuses mainly on his life while the police were investigating him and his company. It's very interesting to see if only for the fact that while you're laughing at the incredibly ridiculous situations that are happening, there is also the thought in the back of your mind that this actually happened. This was someone's life. 

What stands out in this movie are the performances. Margot Robbie somehow managed to steal scenes from Leo. This is arguably Jonah Hill's best performance to date. McConaughey was on the screen for a maximum of ten minutes in the very beginning but still managed to be one of the best parts and Leo, well he was so good I hardly have the words. If he finally wins the Academy Award he so deserves this year, it will be for the right film, and even though it's the toughest competition in a long time for Best Actor, I don't think you'll hear too many people arguing. 

February Favourites

I've decided to write a little bit of a catch up/February favourites because I haven't written in a while.

(Favourite) Television Show(s): Febrauary has been a great month for television. So many shows are back, and I'm loving all the new storylines. However, I can't write about all of them here so I've chosen my top three. Of course the start of Teen Wolf has been the highlight of my life month. Season 3B started off in January quite slowly, but is quickly picking up the pace and every episode is just getting better and better. There is so much mystery and intrigue this season and there is so much potential, I absolutely can't wait to see where it ends up (although I also can because I don't want it to end!). I spent the first couple of days in February watching the 2013 mini-series Top of the Lake with Elizabeth Moss (Peggy from Mad Men). It's directed and written by Jane Campion, who wrote and directed one of my favourite movies Bright Star. It's a drama/crime series set in New Zealand, and it's pretty similar to ITV's Broadchurch. I very highly recommend both. Moss is brilliant, displaying so much raw emotion in every single episode.

True Detective: Episode 1

The third TV show I have been loving this month has been HBO's new series True Detective. I feel like this show just came out of nowhere. I saw it advertised on a billboard a few days before it started and was intrigued by the fact Woody Harrelson and Matthew McConaughey were in a television series. I loved it from the first episode and somehow every episode manages to make me love it even more. McConaughey is absolute perfection playing Rust Cohle. I honestly think this is his best work to date and I cannot recommend this show highly enough. It's already made it onto my favourite television list.

(Favourite) Film: To be completely honest I haven't watched too many films this month. The absolute stand out that I have watched definitely has to be Dallas Buyers Club. It's really been McConaughey month this February. He was outstanding in Dallas Buyers, so much so I would not mind seeing him beat Leonardo Di Caprio for the Oscar (yes, I said it). Jared Leto will without a doubt win Best Supporting Actor for his role as well, he was phenomenal. The story itself was so heartbreaking, but quite inspiring and I would highly recommend it to everyone.

I'm not going to write a section for my favourite books this month because I (fingers crossed!) will be doing a blog post solely on books I've been loving lately sometime in early March.

Hope you enjoyed that, let me know what you're favourites for this month were in the comments!